The importance of patience

I understand the importance of patience in a park today. Although it happened through a scene so ordinary that I almost walked past it without noticing. I was sitting on a bench , half distracted by my phone.. when I noticed an old man trying to teach a little boy how to ride a bicycle. The boy was probably six or seven.

He had a bright red bicycle with training wheels removed, and he looked absolutely determined to prove that he could ride it. The old man stood behind him, holding the back of the seat while the boy pushed the pedals as quickly as he could. For the first few attempts , the boy kept falling. Every time the bicycle tilted, he immediately put his feet on the ground.

Once, he become frustrated and threw the bicycle onto the grass. "I can't do it. " he said, almost angrily. I expected the old man to tell him to try harder. Instead, he simply picked up the bicycle. "Then don't do it yet" he said.

The boy looked confused. The old man adjusted the seat and told him. They could try again whenever he wanted. There was no lecture. No irritation. No comparison with other children.

He didn't tell the boy that he was wasting time. He didn't say that everyone else could already ride.He just waited. A few minutes later the boy tried again. This time, the old man held the bicycle for a little longer before slowly loosening his grip.

The boy didn't notice. He kept pedalling . For perhaps five seconds ,he was riding completely on his own, Then he looked back. The moment he realized nobody was holding him, he panicked, lost balance and fell.

I thought he would cry . Instead the old man laughed gently and said , "you were already doing it" That sentence stayed with me. The boy hadn't failed . He simply hadn't learned how to trust himself yet.

I started thinking about how different my relationship with patience has become. I often want results immediately.. If don't understand something quickly. I became frustrated. If something isn't progressing. I start woundering whether I am simply not good enough at it.

I want the finished valersion without experienceing the uncomfortable period where I am still terrible at it. We are sorrounded by things that encourage this impartence. Instant messages, , instant information. Instant entertainment. Fast deliveries.

Quick results, we have become accustomed to. Getting almost everything. Immediately, waiting. For ourselves to improve. can feel unbearable . But. People don't work like that .Learning. Takes time. Confidence takes time..

Thust takes time.. Relationships take time. Even becoming the person we want to be takes time. Maybe patience isn't simply waiting for something to happen. Maybe it is accepting that some things cannot be rushed without damaging them.

A child cannot be forced into balance. A seed cannot be shoulted into becoming a tree. And perhaps I cannot demand that every part of my life make sense immediately. As I left the park. I saw the boy trying again. This time, the old man barely touched the bicycle.

I kept walking before I could see whether he fell. For once. I didnt need to know the ending.Maybe that was part of the lession too.